Spring cushion



Aug. 29, 1933. J. BEEDE Er AL SPRINGv CUSHION Filed Aug. 10, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 23A 23 2/ ZZ I N VEN TOR. IM Raaf/QT K 555D: Y #5955er GBEEE B I y ATTO'NEY Aug. 29, 1933.

R. J. BEEDE El' AL SPRING CUSHION Filed Aug. 4 l0, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Patented Aug. 29,

. SPRING oUsmoN,

Robert Lr. Beeae and Herbert G. Beede,

Pawtucket, R. I. v

Application August 1o, 1932. serial No. 628,244- l 12 Claims.

Our invention relates to a spring cushion pad capable of use in connection with pressing or pressure apparatus such, for instance, as ironing machines and clothing presses, in connection 5 with which we will hereinafter describe the same.

In its broader aspects the invention contemplates the provision of a unitary structure embodying a plurality of individually yieldable elements so arranged and-mounted relative to each lo other las to present or provide a substantially continuous fiat or curved surface yieldable as a whole and in different areas according to the reg-I ularity or irregularity of the surface of an object into contact with which the surface' of the `5 yieldable unitary device may be brought under pressure.

An important general object of the invention is to provide a unitary spring cushion pad of the y above'type characterized by simplicity of con- Q struction, durability, and efficient operation.

One of the important speciilc objects of our ing. vention is to provide a plate of lany predetermined shape according to the particular purpose or device to which the pad is to be applied, and

5 novel and effective means for connecting the yieldable devices to the plate to form the substantially continuous yieldable surface.

The foregoing and' other objects and the advantages ofthe invention will become apparent 0 and will be particularly pointed out during the course of the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings wherein, for the purposes of illustration, the invention is shown applied to a pressing member of aclothes pressing 5 machine, and in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View of a clothes pressing machine showing` the pressing buck in perspective and with a portion of the pad and `cover-iing broken away to disclose the faces of some of g the yieldable members;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figfl; p

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical central sectional view throu'gh one of the yieldable members and a portion of the supporting plate shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the same yieldable member;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a fragment of the supi porting plate; v

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view partly in section of the spring cushion pad shown i in Fig. 6; f

plane intersecting the lplane of the alined slot (Cl. 68.-9) l vFigui! is a view similar to4 Fig. 3 showing lthe embodimentof Fig. 6; and

Fig.` 9 is an exploded perspective view of thek l embodiment Lshown in Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 10 designates 30,

`screwholesin the plate 11` at its edge in obviousv manner. Y Plate 14 is provided at regular spaced intervals with openings 15, which as shown in Fig. 5, re-

semble'keyhole openings, being enlarged at their 75 center and having alined slots 16 at opposite sides. There are also provided alined 'depressions 17 formed in the body of the plate marginally ofnthe openings 15, the'depressions 17 being alined in 'a 16 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The individual yieldable spring cushion members comprises Acup-shaped caps 18 preferably oi' rectangular form and, 'as shown in Fig. 4, each has an opening 19 inits end'wall with depressions 35 20, similar to the depressions 17, in alinement at opposite sides of the opening 19. A coilvsprin'g 21 is placed in the cap with one end abutting the end wall of the cap 18 and surrounding opening 19, and its other end abuts the plate 14. To 90 connect'the cap 18 to the plate 14 with the spring inthe position described and compressed between the cap and plate, we may providea pair of -staples of similar form, each comprising a U-shaped member, the lower of which is designated bythe 95 numeral 23 and the upper of which is designated by the numeral 22. As shown in Fig. 2, each of the connectors or staples 22 and 23 has its ends bent outwardly to form hooks 24 to engage or seat in the depressions 17 and 20 respectively. The 100 relative dimensions of the depressions and hooks 24 is such that thehooks will be snugly housed in the depressions and will not project beyond the faces. of the cap 18 and plate 14.

'The parts are` assembled as follows: 105 The staple 22 is inserted through the opening 19, which is of suicientdiameter to permit passage of the U-portion Yof the staple therethrough and the ends 24v of the staple 22 are positioned at right ames t9 the depressions 2o. with che 110 A staple so positioned the spring may be inserted in the cap 18 surrounding the staple 22 and the staple 23 engaged with the staple 22 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and then the ends 24 of the staple 23 are passed throughthe slots 16 at which time they are at right angles to the position of the feet 24 on the staple 22 since the slots 16, when the parts are completely assembled, are in the same plane with the depressions 20 in the cap 18. Of course the cap is pressed and held toward the plate during this assembling operation and the spring is greatly compressed, but after the ends of the staples have been positioned as described the cap may be released to permit the spring to expand. The staple 23 is turned 90 until its ends are seated in the depressions 17 and the turning of the staple23 will also effect turning of the staple 22 thesame amount and' bring the ends of the staple 22 inthe depressions 20, so that the parts will be securely locked together. When the plate 14 is connected to the plate 11 the ends 24 of the staple 23 will be positively prevented from becoming dislodged from 'the depressions 17 because they will be below'the surface of the plate 14 which is in contact with the plate 11. Similarlygthe ends ofthe staple 22 will be within the depressions 20 and prevented from escaping or turning therefrom, because the face of the cap 18 is in contact with the pad 12.

While we have shown the slots 16 and depressions 17 relatively positioned at right angles it should be perfectly obvious that they can be arranged at any other angle and that the amount of turning movement of the cap which seats the ends of the staples in their respective depressions will be determined by the relative angle between the slots 16 and depressions 17. I

In Fig. 2, we have shown a garment G, having a button B, placed on the pressing element to illustrate how, when the pressing members are brought together individual members of the cushion pad will yield at the point where the button positioned. This relievespressure on the button and gives an'even pressure on the garment. The strength or resiliency of the springs 21 isa matter to be determined according to the use to which the invention is put, as for some uses it may be desirable to have a stronger spring action than for others. W* As previously stated, another embodiment of our invention is illustrated in Fig/s. 6 9 and we have there shown the said embodiment applied to the same type of pressing apparatus but illustrated in the position it occupies on the head, including the plate 11 of the pressing member and -the pad 12 and covering 13, the yieldable members being housed between the pad, covering, and plate 11' as showninFig. 6.

The embodiment of the invention about to described provides a substantially complete housing or casing for the springs, and, as'in the case of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 5, employs a U-shaped member to retain the cap of the housing in position with the spring in compressed condition and tending to force the cap away from the plate on which the parts are mounted. This plate is designated by the numeral 25 and has at regular spaced intervals openings 26 providing therebetween alined portions or strips 27. The openings, when the yieldable members are secured .to

the plate, are paired, that is, portions of the U- shaped members, namely, the arms, are mounted through the openings, and the intermediate portion of the U-shaped members contact the strips 27 between each pair of openings. This is very inwardly bent anges or ends 39 and straight side clearly shown in Fig. 8 Where the U-Shaped retaining members are designated generally by the numeral 28, each having an intermediate portion 29 and opposite arms with theirends bent outwardly and terminating in flanges designated by the numeral 30. The intermediate portion 29 of each of the U-shaped retaining members engages against the portion or strip 27, on one side of the plate, and on the opposite side of the plate we provide a base or part of the spring casing designated generally by the numeral 31 having side arms 32 and an intermediate portion 33 with notches 34 formed in opposite ledges of the intermediate 'portion between the side arms 32, the notches being of a width and depth to accommodate the side arms of the U-shaped retaining members 28. Thus, when a member 31 is positioned with its f intermediate portion 33 over the strips or portions 27 of the plate on the side thereof opposite to the side onwhich the intermediate portions 29 of the members 28 are positioned, the side arms of the U-shaped members 28 are engaged in the` notches 34 so that the members 31 are accurately positioned between the openings y26 and against the portions 27 and prohibited or restrained from sliding movement in any direction. 'Ihe casing for the spring 35 is completed by the cup-shaped caps designated generally by the numeral 36 including a top or end `wall 37, side walls 38 having walls 40 at right` angles to the walls 38'. In Fig. 8 the parts just described are shown in detail in assembled position with the portion 29 of theretaining members 28 in face to face relation with one side of the plate 25 over the portions 27 and with the members 31 in face to face relation with the other side of the plate and the ,arms 32 extending partially into the cap 36 with their ends adiacent the ends of the walls 40 of` thecap and in face to face relation therewith, so that the cap is restrained by the arms 3 2 from movement to the left or right of the position shown in Fig. 8. The side arms of the members 28 are positioned at right angles to the side arms 32 of the members '31 and the anges or Yends 30 are engaged under the flanges 39 of the cap 36. In this position the spring is compressed but is restrained from expension beyond the position shown, by the interlocking flanges 30 and 39. The abutment of the ends ofthe flanges 30 with the walls 38 also prevents sliding movement of thel cap 36 in directions at right angles to the left and right of the positionshown in Fig; 8. Thus, the spring is housed between the members 31,. 36, and 28, with one end of the spring abutting the wall 33 of member 31, and its other end abutting the wall 37 of the cap 36. Obviously, the cap maybe forced or may yield toward the plate 25 the distance between the ends of the walls 38 and the plate 25 or any portion of that distance according to the formation of the surface brought into contact with the cap 36 which may be a button or any other projection as previously explained.

The parts of the embodiment shown in Figs. 69 may be assembled in the following manner. The retaining member 28 is applied to the plate 25 by inserting the side arms thereof through the openings 26 and bringing the wall 29 into contact with the strip 27. The member 31-is then applied to the other side of the platev with the side arms oi' the member 28 engaged in the notches 34 and with the wall 33 against the strip 27. Onewall 40 of the'cap 36 would be bent outwardly toward the plane of thewall 37 so that the ends thereof ,would be in a position permitting them to pass f are vengaged with the flanges of the member 28 with the spring compressed between the member 33 and the cap 36. When 'the cap 36 has been moved to the position-shown in Fig. 8 by sliding the flanges 39 along the anges30, the bent-up wall 40 will have passed overboth of the walls 32 and the other wall 4l) will eventually contact one of the walls 32 and stop the c'ap at the proper position. The wallV `40 which has beenbent out to permitpassage thereof over the walls 32 is'then bent at substantially right angles to the top 3'7 and in substantially the same plane as the wall 32 and partially overlapping said wall 32, lwhereby the cap is maintained in proper position against dise placement in any direction.

. In bothembodiments of the inventionras apparent from Figs. 1, 2, 6, and 7, it will be noted that the invention provides a substantially continuous surface yieldable as a whole or in part at areas contacted by irregular projections on mats ters which the surface contacts under pressure, andl it should be obvious that if the device to which the plates carrying the yieldable members has, a curved surface that the plate carrying the yieldable members may be curved to correspond to said surface without disturbing the regularity of the substantially continuous yieldable surface of the spring cushion device.

We have not deemed it necessary to disclose a means-of attaching the unitary spring cushion Vdevice above described toa supporting member,

because this is a mechanical detail and may be accomplished in several manners' such as'. by screws or bolts engageable through the plate adjacent its marginal edges or by any other means.

The device can be made in many shapes and sizes and adapted to various uses, and it should be apparent that the embodiment of Figs. l-5 may be used on the movable pressing element or head, and that of Figs-6 9 on the buck, the embodiments being shown respectively on buck and head merely for the purposes of illustration.

1. A spring cushion device of -the character described comprising a plate provided with a plurality of openings spaced at regular intervals, a U-shaped member having portions extending through each of said openings and having portions disposed on each side of the plate, a cap over each of said U-shaped members on one side of the plate, means carried by each of said caps and engaging said U-shaped members to hold the caps on the plate, and a coil spring between each cap and the plate urging the cap away from the plate, said engaging means and U-shaped members restricting the movement of the caps away from the plate but permitting approaching movement of the caps toward the plate under pressure.

2. A spring cushion :device of .the character described comprising a plate for attachment to a supporting surface and having arplurality of regularly spaced openings, Ushaped members mounted to extendY through said openings and having portions disposed on the face of said 'plate confronting said surface and portions extending through said openings above the other face of the plate, a cap mounted aboveeach of said U-shaped members, means on the cap engageable ,with said last portions of the U` shaped members to secure the cap thereto, and a coil spring between said cap and said plate j normally pushing the cap outwardly from the plate and urging said means and portions of the restrict outspring and permitting approach of the cap toward the platef under force exertedto compress said spring. l Y

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein the cap and plate each have depressions to receive the olisetends of the U-shaped members and said depressions in the respective parts being' arranged in intersecting planes wherebyturning movement of one of said U-shaped members to seat the offset portions in its depressions will exert a turning movement on the other member and` seat its offset ends inthe depressions on the other members. f

5. A spring cushion device comprising a plate having a plurality of regularly spaced openings with marginally disposed alined notches `on opposite sides of each opening, a U-shaped member having olset ends insertable through said notches, depressions at opposi sides of each opening in a plane intersecting t e plane of the notches to receive said offset .ends after the same had been inserted-through said notches and the U-shaped member turned, a cap above said opening, a spring between said cap and the plate, and means carried by the cap engageable with said U-shaped the plate against 7. A spring cushion device comprising a plate having a plurality of regularly spaced openings, a U-shaped member having opposite arms extending through a pair of said openings with its middle portion against the material of the plate between said openings, the upper ends of said U-shaped members being bent outwardly, a cap,

above said portion of the plate between the openings and having depending 'side walls with inwardly bent ends engaging the bent ends of the U-shaped member to restrict movement of the cap away from the plate, and a spring between the cap and the plate normally urging said cap y outwardly from the plate and maintaining said i bent ends in engagement with each other.

8. A spring cushion device comprising a plate having a plurality of regularly spaced openings a U-shaped member having opposite arms extending through a pair of said openings with its middle portion against the material of the plate jbetween said openings, the lupper ends4 o f said Ll-shaped members being bent outwardly, a cap above said portion of the plate between the openingsand having depending side walls with in- Wardly bent ends engaging the b ends of the U-shaped memberto restrict movement of the cap away from the plate, and a spring between the cap and the plate normally urging said cap outwardly from the plate and maintaining said bent ends in engagement with each other, and

-means preventing lateral movement between the cap and U-shaped member.

9. A spring cushion device comprising a plurality of individually mounted adjacent yieldable members vpresenting a substantially continuous yieldable surface, said members being mounted on a supporting plate and each including an element engaging with the plate, and an element in engagement with said first element, and having a surface forming part of said substantially continuous surface, spring means urging said second element awayv from said plate, and means on said elements slidably engageable to secure them together and limit movement of said second element away from said plate.

10. A spring cushion device comprising a plu-y rality of individually mounted adjacent yieldable members presenting a substantially continuous yieldable surface, said members being mounted on a supporting plate and each including an element engaging with the plate, and` an element in engagement with said rst element, and having a surface forming part of `said substantially continuous surface, spring means urging said second element away from said plate, means on vsaid elements slidably engageable to secure them together andlimitmovement of said second element away fromsaid plate, and preventing relative lateral movement between said parts in lopposite alined directions, and means preventing relative lateral movement between said parts in opposite alined directions intersecting the line of said rst directions.

senting a substantially continuous surface, each,v

of said members comprising an element having arms inserted. through openings in the plate, an element on the plate and held against lateral movement by the arms of said member, said element also having arms at opposite sides of said member and at substantially right angles to said first arms, a cap having walls terminating adjacent the ends of said arms on the element and member, a spring normally urging said cap away from the plate, and means limiting the movement of the cap away froml the plate.

12. A spring cushion device of the character described comprising a plate having a plurality .of yieldable elements thereonl presenting a substantially continuous surface, each of said elements comprising a cap having a surface forming part of said substantially continuous surface` and having side walls, two of said walls having lateral projections confronting each other,f a member holding said cap on the plateand having lateral projections on opposite walls to engage said projections on the cap walls, elements on the plate at the ends of said opposite walls and overlapping other opposite walls on the cap to prevent sliding movement between said cap and member after assembly, and a spring normally urging said cap .away from the plate and said projections on the cap and member into contact with each other.

ROBERT J. BEEDE.

HERBERT G. BEEDE. 

